maybeifancyu

In your letter, make your you state your DS-2019 number, which is a N- number, I think it's also called SEVIS numer.

Also Program Numbers, it may be printed on your DS-2019, and your J-1 visa.

You need to convince them that, you didn't receive any government funding from your home country or the american government. If you received money from your host family, it's private funding, which is ok.

For me, I was able to find a webpage on my program's website, that says it's a privately funded program. It may help if you print out some evidence from their website, or any information you received before you came here.

Be very polite when you write the letter, but make it simple, only state the facts.

Advisory Opinion should be able to determine based on those informations.

On the website says it takes them 4-6 weeks to process the advisory opinion, but it took 8 weeks for me. The decision will be posted online, then sent to you maybe a couple weeks later in mail.

Here, actually I was in the same boat with you! I contacted the program I came with (not Au Pair but something similar, not supposed to be subject to 212(e)), and they never really replied. I've called many times and e-mail many times, they may be avoiding me.

I agree with Hypnos that you don't NEED a lawyer to help you with the application, but a lawyer may help because they are better at wording things. I have a family friend who is a lawyer help me write the letter, she explained it very well, and I will not be able to write all the reasons she gave out by myself. Her wording may or may not have helped the decision, but I'd rather be safe because you cannot request Advisory Opinion again if it was denied. However, I don't think she accepts any clients because she is a stay-at-home Mom now, and most other lawyers only do it to make money, so they'll probably write a very simple letter - which you may as well do it yourself.

strict? YES!

Luckily, your passport has pin yin characters in it,

and the green card, marriage certificate, and court document are all in English.

Translation? NO la. bu bu bu..

Are you saying they won't spend too much time matching my name on the passport with the green card? I just don't know if they'll understand why I have a different name on my GC...

Sorry I'm asking so many questions, I'm just worried that they won't let me on the plane coming back to the States.

so bring the marriage certificate and the court order in addition to yer passport and greencard.

Good Luck !

Do you think the airline in China Airport will be strict about it? I can get the documents translated.

For getting on the plane in China -

you need to show:

1. ticket

2. passport

3. green card

so, if the green card name not match what's in passport, then show the marriage document (which usually shows all names)

and

name in ticket must match name in passport.

Good Luck !

The screeners in the China Airports have basic, rudimentary english reading skills - they barely can match letter for letter.

Thanks Darnell, my problem is that the marriage certificate doesn't even show my new name.

For example, my name in passport is AAA BBB. And the marriage certificates says AAA BBB married to someone with last name CCC. So now my name would be AAA BBB CCC. However, I then changed my name at the court from AAA BBB CCC, to DDD BBB CCC. And of course the green card only shows the new name with middle initial DDD B CCC.

So now, my passport says AAA BBB, and green card says DDD B CCC. Completely different.

I'm sure most people know about changing last name after marriage, but I don't know if they'll understand that I changed my first name as well.

I understand the rule about booking tickets exactly like the name on passport. I just don't want any problem with the airlines or China Airport.

Why not use one name on all of your documents (passport, green card, driver's license, state ID)??

You can go to your country's consulate who has jurisdiction in your state so you can change the name on your passport.

Make an INFOPASS at USCIS so you can change the name on your GC.

Go to DMV and change the name on your Driver's License or State ID.

Bring original and photocopies of your marriage certificate, birth certificate and the name change court order.

All my American documents (including the green card, drivers license) are in my new name already. However, my country doesn't let me change my name due to various reasons.

So I have to fly with my passport name (old name) while my green card is in the new name. I don't plan on changing back my name on all my American documents...

I will bring my marriage certificate, and the name change court order when I travel. The problem is that there is no way to change the passport, and the name just looks completely different except my last name on passport is my middle name on green card.

I hope what I said makes sense...

Anyone has some insights to this?

I was rejected for the same reason. But guess what? I filed an Advisory Opinion, and they found out my visa was misprinted, and I wasn't subject to the 212(e) in the first place! Anyway, after a long wait and a motion to reopen ($$$), I got approved...

Accidentally spat on his face when I was drunk.

I believe this is a mistake on their part, they should have a copy of your EAD on file with the I-9 for their records.

Here's a completely different possible I-9 loophole:

Immigrant is granted conditional LPR through marriage

Immigrant obtains unannotated social security card and state driver's licence, valid 5 or more years

Immigrant stays beyond the 2 year validity of her conditional green card and doesn't bother to file I-751, and is no longer legally present in the USA

Immigrant subsequently takes a job and presents social security card and valid driver's license - acceptable by themselves for the I-9 without presenting the green card.

Thoughts?

yes until their driver's license expires I guess.

They probably will advise you to file separately because you cannot claim a resident wife as non-reisdent.

We had the same problem and we just filed under "resident" so that we ended up paying more taxes - at least IRS is happy if you pay more taxes.

It's just what we did to be safe, you might want to consult an accountant, but they charge a fee which may be higher than what you could save on taxes. With 13K income, I think you won't be paying much taxes at all. We had around 12.5K and paid no tax after deductions and college credits.

How much does a will cost?

You should receive an e-mail/case update says "card production" before they send your GC. If you haven't, then maybe they're just being slow because it's holiday season... Did you receive your welcome letter yet? Usually it can take up to 30 days after the letter.

do you have a document that contains all names? if so, bring that when travelling.

I can bring the document, will the CBP officers be very strict? We're travelling to China, I heard that they won't let you in the airport (when you leave) unless you have a valid visa/GC to travel to the US. I can get my document translated, but will this be enough for the Chinese airport?

Hey guys, I have the same questions, except I changed my last name (after marriage) AND first name (have court order). Will I have a problem entering the states if my GC has different first name AND last name? I have the marriage certificate and court order with me. I changed the first name because my birth name is very difficult for English speakers to pronounce, I go to lots of academic seminars and prefer to have my English name - I have used it since I was 6.

Anybody knows about this? I know I need to book the tickets in my passport name. Just don't know if having court order is enough to prove I'm the same person because the name on GC looks totally different. Please help!!

It's strange that I couldn't update my address online, so I sent a physical copy through USPS to the local office when my case was still pending.

They did change my address in the system - I got my approval letter and the green card to the new address. It seems like they do process your change of address form with pending cases if you send them to the right place (i.e., where you case is)

I just renewed the driver's license a few weeks ago and couldn't change my name because my SSN wasn't updated. Renewed anyway, and received a card for 3 years. DMV was crazily busy and I don't ever want to step in that place again unless I absolutely have to. (We only have 4 locations in the whole state that do foreign national DL.) So my question is, now that I updated my SSN with married name, do I have to go back to DMV and update my DL again? My passport still has my maiden name and I have no way to change it until I get my USC. I don't mind carrying a DL with my maiden name but I'm not sure if it'll be a problem now that it's not matching my SSN.

Wait until you are a USC then go back and ream them a new one as they are now working for you. Whether you are a LPR or not in their database should not matter as you can show the GC. This might be one thing you can check on the phone sometime at work when it is slow and you can be on hold forever.

Anyway, I would just wait until you get USC and then deal with them--that is what we are going to do.

Dave

Alright, thanks! That makes me feel better because I really don't like waiting at SSA or dealing with them (although it's better than DMV).

Well I wish I could check on the phone at work, but I don't have a job - never had one (still in college and going to graduate school next year). I'm actually hoping that I won't ever have to work, as I observe the traditional gender roles and am very content being a housewife! LOL

I don't really want to go back and check if they have me as a LPR... Is it going to be a problem though?

I just want to make sure that it won't make any difference if I can just show my green card. The officers worked there didn't seem to know what they were doing and I don't want to bother arguing. If it is okay for me to wait until I'm a USC, I'd rather wait. Just need to confirm that it's ok?

I went to change my name after I got my GC but they didn't seem to remove my restriction which says for work only with DHS authorization.

Is it a big deal.

Doesn't your school have a doctor you can visit as part of your tution fees? Most schools do

good luck

I go to a small private college, so we don't have a doctor. Sometimes there is a doctor that comes on campus and sees patients, but he still charges normal rates.

This clinic is a Christian ministry supported by volunteers and donors (mainly churches), and does not receive any government support. It is not a United Way agency, but has received some financial support through the United Way Community Crisis Fund.

I just finished college and will be looking for a job. But I really need to see a doctor because I am afraid that I have diabetes (eating more than average but still underweight, always thirsty, going to bathroom frequently)... I'm only 22 years old but I had been sick for over a year (those symptoms plus frequent abdominal pain) and couldn't afford going to the hospital.

My husband and I are both students with almost no income. Is it ok if we go to the charity/free clinics?

They are not government funded. I know I'm not supposed to use any means-tested benefits. But can I go to charity clinics? We don't have health insurance and can't afford it.

They won't pass it even if you got enough signatures... It just shows up on the desk for little attention. Lots of petitions like this got the signatures but they don't change anything.

Just an update: They called to tell me my green card was approved! What a nice officer that went out of her way and called me I guess she wanted to make sure I got my GC in hand.